Five die in Dagari coalmine collapse

QUETTA – Five mineworkers died Thursday when a coalmine caved in after a powerful explosion in Dagari area of Mastung district, about 35 kilometres southeast of Quetta Thursday.

According to Balochistan Mines Chief Inspector Iftikhar Ahmed, the incident took place at Sardar Gohar Coal Company in Dagari area.

“The miners were busy extracting coal some 1,200 feet inside the mine when a huge blast occurred after the mine filled with methane gas, leaving five of them dead” he said, adding that two workers, who were away from the site, remained unhurt.

Rescuer rushed to the site and retrieved the bodies. The deceased were identified as Abdullah, Zhoor, Sharafat Ali, Gul Wali and Ziaullah. Three of them are residents of Swat and two are locals. The bodies have been sent to their hometowns for burial.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Mines Minister Abdul Rehman Mengal ordered an inquiry into the incident and closure of the mine. In March, more than 40 miners were killed in a coalmine explosion in the Sorange area, some 40 kilometres from Quetta.